Sunday, 1 April 2012

Bellwoods Brewery, Toronto, ON

Gord and I went to a tasters event this afternoon at Bellwoods Brewery, a craft brewery that is opening in our 'hood in the next couple of weeks.

Bellwoods Brewery is a new Toronto microbrewery, retail store & café coming to 124 Ossington Ave. early in 2012.

We intend to produce a diverse range of craft ales and fermented elixirs for both wholesale and retail customers.

Bellwoods Brewery will also operate a small indoor picnic-style cafe in collaboration with local chefs for lovers of craft beer. We’re happy to have Guy Rawlings (Brockton General, Cowbell, Black Hoof) as a friend of the brewery. Guy will be consulting on menu design and curating the first indoor picnic offering.

Bellwoods Brewery hopes to collaborate with a number of local chefs and local food suppliers to keep the cafe offerings relevant to season, and to provide options that match well to the various brewed products we’ll be creating in house.

Until last year, it was a garage by day and an art gallery by night. Here is Gord in front. This will be a patio.

It's cute and comfortable inside.

There is also some seating upstairs.

This is looking down from upstairs.

They served us sample of four of their beer. The first was Bellwoods Common, a pale ale that is 5%. This was my favourite.

Next was Farmhouse Ale, their saison that is 6%.

We were served snacks. Food will be shared plates. They are hoping to have a grill on the patio and perhaps serve jerk chicken (yum) and oysters.

The third sample was Toil & Trouble, their Belgium Double, which is 8.7%.

We shared a table with Piper and Gatlin, who were fun to talk with.

The last sample was Witch Shark, which is an American imperial double IPA with was 9%. I didn't like this one at all and gave mine to Gord. This was his favourite.

Here's Gord with the Witch Shark.

Mike and Luke, the brewers, were on hand to answer all our questions. They also have the space next door which they will eventually use as a retail outlet.